1. Field of the Invention
The present invention discloses a system, kit assembly, and installation process for securing and aligning panels in spaced fashion relative to a wall surface. A profile attachment scheme is established between elongated rails, which are secured to the wall surface, with additional (typically sectioned lengths of rails) clips having identical profiles screwed or otherwise attached to the rear surfaces of a plurality of panels prior to engaging the rails. In this fashion, the clips inter-engage the rails in an opposing and horizontally lengthwise extending and supporting manner so that panels can be either fixedly or individually removable relative to the wall surface.
The present inventions additionally provide an array of features, including unique attachment mechanisms for transferring and distributing both stresses and panel weight across a wider surface area of each panel. Further, the system provides several unique means for securing panels in a variety of ways depending on the installation requirements, such including the panels being supported in such a manner that their thermal coefficient of expansion/contraction (such being endemic to given installation environments) will not otherwise result in warping or buckling of the panels at their mounting interfaces or causing any undesired movement or stress accumulation within the completed installation.
The various configurations depicted herein also provide a maximum of air circulation behind the panels and which assist in avoiding mold or other environmental degradation. The system, kit and assembly additionally offers unique advantages over the prior art including faster installation time, drastically reduced parts count and inventory requirement, the option of individually demounting installed panels, faster and simpler alignment of panels over uneven walls, sound absorption of both high and low frequency noise, interchangeability of decorative moldings, reduced materials cost, reduced installation cost, and drastically superior ability to absorb building movement including a unique provision for individual panel demounting.
The inventive panel bracket and system also allows for the option of accommodation for building movement while providing for simultaneous stable panel bearing support without disturbing other elements of the installed array of panels. Movement of architectural components occurs either during normal seasonal movement of the building, or in the natural expansion and contraction of the panels themselves by varying conditions of temperature, vibration, moisture, or humidity. Additionally, the present system avoids the requirement for machining the edges of the panels and provides several different mounting methods within the same system, while maintaining a unique mix of features and benefits not previously known in the art.
2. Background of the Relevant Art
Architectural panels are well-known in the art. Such panels differ from most wall coverings in that they typically feature mechanical attachment of some sort, or at the very least offer a thickness exceeding typical wallpaper-type coverings and are therefore generally ¼″ thick or greater, and are most commonly 5/16″, ⅜″, ½″ and up to 1″ in thickness.
Such panel systems are typically employed to conceal building wall irregularities and to protect and decorate wall surfaces in offices, hospitals, retail spaces, and building interiors. The panels are most commonly offered in wood grain, metallic, simulated grass, and other faux finishes. Substrate materials are most commonly plywood, wood flour, solid phenolic composite, gypsum or other mineral (e.g. magnesium oxide, Portland cement) board, plastic, or combinations thereof.
Additional examples from the prior art include the panel attachment systems depicted in each of U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,427,408, 8,151,533 and 6,202,377, all to Krieger. In the Krieger, '533 reference, a modular wall system includes a number of decorative panels that are received in an extruded panel frame. Each of the frames are positioned by connecting them to a wall rail that is attached to the building. The wall rail and panel frame each have a groove that accepts a fastener or clip by interference or snap fit to attach the panel frame to the wall rail. The grooves have a dove-tail shape that permits a snap fit to secure the panels, while permitting the panels to be easily removed or reconfigured.
In each of the Krieger '408 and '377 references, the wall system includes a plurality of rectangular rigid prefinished panels mounted on a wall support structure with main runners and cross runners. The main runners serve to lock the panels onto the support structure and with the cross runners serving to prevent the wood-based panels from warping due to adverse moisture conditions. The main runners are configured to space the panels from the wall support structure to encourage uniform humidity conditions at the front and rear of the panels. Clips that secure the panels to the main runners are fixed adjacent the top and bottom panel edges at different setoffs to obtain an advantageous nesting of panels for reduced packaging volume.